The present invention relates to a clippings directing attachment for composite board shears.
The construction industry has made widespread use of composite board made of cellulose fiber and Portland cement in constructing house sidings. Hardie Plank.RTM., a particular brand of composite board, is very widely used for this purpose.
Power shears are typically used to cut composite board. Shears are generally preferred over rotating saws because saws typically produce a great amount of dust, which interferes with the cutting operation. In particular, Snapper.RTM. brand shears, having two stationary blades, one on either side of an active blade, are a particularly widely accepted tool for cutting composite board. Sidenstick et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,069 discloses this type of shears and is incorporated herein by reference.
A problem encountered when using power shears to cut composite board, however, is the production of clippings that loop back around in the cutting plane, blocking the vision of the operator. It is important for the operator to be able to view the cut line as he uses the shears. Consequently, a composite board shears operator typically spends a great deal of time pushing clippings away from his line of sight to the cut line.